One time during Hajj, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was with his cousin, Al-Fadl ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, when a young woman came to the Prophet ﷺ to ask a question. After the Prophet ﷺ was done answering her question, he ﷺ noticed that Al-Fadl followed that young woman with his sight. So the Prophet ﷺ gently tilted the neck of Al-Fadl to turn his gaze away. When Al-Fadl’s father, Al-Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, noticed this, he asked the Prophet ﷺ: “O Messenger of Allah, why did you turn the neck of your cousin?”
🔵 The Prophet ﷺ said: “I saw a young man and a young woman, and I was afraid that the shaytan [might tempt] them.” [Musnad Ahmad 1348]
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If the Prophet ﷺ was worried about the impact of the shaytan towards the companions during Hajj, then what about us on campus, at the work place, in the mall, or even on the social media?
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🔵 Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala commanded the brothers clearly in the Qur’an: “(O Prophet!) Tell the believing men to lower their gaze…” [Surah An-Nur 24 : 30]
🔵 And Allah commanded the sisters: “And tell the believing women to lower their gaze…” [Surah An-Nur 24 : 31]
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Allah commanded both the brothers and sisters to lower some of their sights. Avoid looking at the opposite gender with desire. Avoid meeting them in private. It does not matter if the brother is a sheikh or a mufti, or the sister is a kind, pious person.
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🔵 Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “A man is not alone with a woman, but the third of them is the shaytan (in that gathering).” [Sahih At-Tirmidhi 2165]
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Brothers and sisters, shaytan will take whatever means necessary to break every boundary Allah has placed between men and women. So beware of the steps and tricks of shaytan. Remember that none of us is ever hidden from the Sight of Allah.
May Allah protect and forgive us all.
